Preps

Leto 19, King 13

By MARTIN BATER, Times Correspondent
Published October 27, 2007

The Leto Falcons (3-6, 0-2) defeated the King Lions (2-6, 0-2) in a game that, thanks to two sputtering offenses, came down to the final drive.

Special teams were key early in the game, as Leto jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first quarter on a 77-yard opening kickoff return by sophomore running back Jeremy Deering and a safety after a punt was blocked by senior defensive end James Guyton.

King's special teams answered back by recovering a fumbled punt snap for a touchdown.

The game stayed close throughout. With King ahead 13-12, Lions junior quarterback Keith Graham was stopped on fourth-and-inches at his own 45. Eight plays later, Deering was in the end zone to put the Falcons ahead by six, 19-13, with two minutes to play.

"We couldn't get an inch and that was key. We are a young team. Most of our starters don't even have their (drivers) licenses yet," said Lions head coach Earl Garcia III, who returned from a five game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct with a referee.

Falcons' head coach Hugh Dehnert praised his team's ability to "play much better when the game is on the line."

Leto's standout defensive end, James Guyton, had two sacks iand reached a district-leading 19 for the season.

"(The defense) really played well," Guyton said. "We made adjustments and forced a big turnover at the end of the game."

[Last modified October 27, 2007, 00:27:14]